Generating Topic Pages Based on Data Sources

1. A computer system comprising one or more processors executing computer-executable instructions which configure the computer system with an architecture for a topic engine that generates topic pages used to structure a search result for a database query of a given entity rather than merely assembling links to websites in order to facilitate better control over content presented in the search results, the architecture of the computer system comprising: a selection engine that selects a set of topics based on internal data of the given entity, wherein the internal data comprises records each representing an interaction between the given entity and a user who is making an inquiry directed to the given entity, wherein each record identifies terms or phrases relating to the inquiry, and wherein selection of the set of topics is at least based on one or both of ranking the records according to a number of records relating to a topic, and topics that have more than a threshold number of records relating to them; a collection engine that performs the following for each topic in the set of selected topics: collects data from the internal data of the given entity and from external data from one or more entities other than the given entity; and aggregates the collected data to produce aggregated topic data based on relationships between the topics in the selected set of topics, wherein the relationships comprise records indicating the internal data and any external data that includes content for the aggregated topic data for any of the topics in the set of selected topics; a topic page generation engine that performs the following for the aggregated topic data for each topic in the set of selected topics: combines the aggregated topic data for one or more topics of the set of selected topics using a template that comprises a schema configured to refer to one or more first documents contained in the internal data of the given entity and any second documents contained in the external data of the one or more entities other than the given entity; and based on each template, generates a topic page from which content is used to structure a search result for a database query of the given entity rather than merely assembling links to websites, in order to facilitate better control over content presented in the search results; and a publication engine that provides the generated topic pages for topics in the set of selected topics to one or more search engines.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the internal data of the given entity comprises a technical support database and wherein each record represents an interaction between the given entity and the user with respect to an inquiry regarding technical support from the given entity.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the one or more first documents comprise technical support documents published by the given entity.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein generated topic pages relate to one or more inquiries for technical support from the given entity, and wherein the one or more second documents comprise technical support documents, emails, or websites related to related to the inquiries.

5. A computer-implemented method for generating topic pages used to structure a search result for a database query in a manner that facilitates better control over content presented in the search results, the computer-implemented method being performed by one or more processors executing computer-executable instructions for the computer-implemented method, which comprises: selecting a set of topics based on internal data of the given entity, wherein the internal data comprises records each representing an interaction between the given entity and a user who is making an inquiry directed to the given entity, wherein each record identifies terms or phrases relating to the inquiry, and wherein selecting the set of topics is at least based on one or both of ranking the records according to a number of records relating to a topic, and topics that have more than a threshold number of records relating to them; for each topic in the set of selected topics performing at least the following: collecting data from the internal data of the given entity and from external data from one or more entities other than the given entity; and aggregating the collected data to produce aggregated topic data based on relationships between the topics in the selected set of topics, wherein the relationships comprise records indicating the particular internal data and any external data that includes content for the aggregated topic data for any of the topics in the set of selected topics; for the aggregated topic data for each topic in the set of selected topics performing at the following: combining the aggregated topic data for one or more topics of the set of selected topics using a template that comprises a schema configured to refer to one or more first documents contained in the internal data of the given entity and any second documents contained in the external data of the one or more entities other than the given entity; and based on each template, generating a topic page from which content is used to structure a search result for a database query of the given entity rather than merely assembling links to websites, in order to facilitate better control over content presented in the search results; and providing the generated topic pages for topics in the set of selected topics to one or more search engines.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 5 , further comprising: submitting one or more of the generated topic pages for review to the given entity; receiving an indication that the one or more submitted topic pages have been approved; and providing the one or more approved topic pages to the one or more search engines.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 5 , wherein the one or more second documents comprise one or more documents published by the one or more entities other than the given entity, or forum posts associated with the one or more entities other than the given entity.

8. The computer-implemented method of claim 5 , wherein the schema comprises an XML schema or a schema.org schema.

9. The computer-implemented method of claim 5 , wherein the internal data of the given entity comprises a technical support database and wherein each record represents an interaction between the given entity and the user with respect to an inquiry regarding technical support from the given entity.

10. The computer-implemented method of claim 9 , wherein the one or more first documents comprise technical support documents published by the given entity.

11. The computer-implemented method of claim 10 , wherein the template comprises one or more references to video content or audio content associated with at least one of the one or more topics of the set of selected topics.

12. The computer-implemented method of claim 9 , wherein the template comprises one or more references to one or more experts associated with at least one of the one or more topics of the set of selected topics.

13. A computer-implemented method for generating topic pages used to structure a search result for a database query in a manner that facilitates better control over content presented in search results for technical support data of a given entity, the computer-implemented method being performed by one or more processors executing computer-executable instructions for the computer-implemented method, which comprises: selecting a set of topics based on internal technical data sources of the given entity, wherein the internal technical data sources comprise one or more of internal support data, internal search data, and wherein the internal support data and internal search data comprise records each representing an interaction between the given entity and a user who is making an inquiry for technical support directed to the given entity, wherein each record identifies terms or phrases relating to the inquiry, and wherein selecting the set of topics is at least based on one or both of ranking the records according to a number of records relating to a topic, and topics that have more than a threshold number of records relating to them; for each topic in the set of selected topics performing at least the following: collecting data from the internal technical data sources of the given entity and from external data sources from one or more entities other than the given entity; and aggregating the collected data to produce aggregated topic data based on relationships between the topics in the selected set of topics, wherein the relationships comprise records indicating the particular internal data source and any external data source that includes content for the aggregated topic data for any of the topics in the set of selected topics; for the aggregated topic data for each topic in the set of selected topics performing at the following: combining the aggregated topic data for one or more topics of the set of selected topics using a template that comprises a schema configured to refer to one or more first documents contained in the internal data of the given entity and any second documents contained in the external data of the one or more entities other than the given entity; and based on each template, generating a topic page from which content is used to structure a search result for a database query of the given entity rather than merely assembling links to websites, in order to facilitate better control over content presented in the search results; and providing the generated topic pages for topics in the set of selected topics to one or more search engines.

14. The computer-implemented method of claim 13 , wherein selecting the set of the topics is based on both ranking the records according to the number of records relating to a topic, and topics that have more than a threshold number of records relating to them.

15. The computer-implemented method of claim 13 , wherein selecting the set of the topics is based on ranking the records according to the number of records relating to a topic.

16. The computer-implemented method of claim 13 , wherein selecting the set of the topics is based on topics that have more than a threshold number of records relating to them.

17. The computer-implemented method of claim 13 , wherein the one or more first documents comprise technical support documents published by the given entity.

18. The computer-implemented method of claim 13 , wherein the one or more second documents comprise one or more documents published by the one or more entities other than the given entity, or forum posts associated with the one or more entities other than the given entity.

19. The computer-implemented method of claim 13 , wherein the template comprises a first region and a second region, and wherein the one or more first documents are inserted into the first region of the template, and the one or more second documents are inserted into the second region of the template.

20. The method of claim 19 , wherein the schemas comprises an XML schema or a schema.org schema.